Coelacanth vs Scarlet Macaw

Latimeria chalumnae compared with Ara macao

Key Differences

• Coelacanth is Critically Endangered while Scarlet Macaw is Least Concern.
• Coelacanth is carnivore while Scarlet Macaw is herbivore.
• Coelacanth is 80.0x heavier than Scarlet Macaw.
• Coelacanth lives longer (100 years vs 50 years).

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Coelacanth	Scarlet Macaw
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Coelacanthi (Coelacanthi)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Coelacanthiformes (Coelacanthiformes)	Psittaciformes (Parrots)
Family	Latimeriidae	Psittacidae (True Parrots)
Genus	Latimeria	Ara (Macaws)
Species	Latimeria chalumnae	Ara macao

Evolutionary Relationship

Coelacanth and Scarlet Macaw share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Coelacanth

CR — Critically Endangered

Population: ~500

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Scarlet Macaw

LC — Least Concern

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Coelacanth	Scarlet Macaw
Diet	Carnivore	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	100 years	50 years
Average Length	1.8 m	85 cm
Average Weight	80.0 kg	1.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Coelacanth

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, among 8 distinct biome types spanning the Australasia and Afrotropic and Indomalayan realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Comoros, Indonesia, Mozambique, and South Africa. Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Scarlet Macaw

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, forests, and vegetated habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela). Population trends indicate a declining trajectory in parts of its range.

Coelacanth

A living fossil thought extinct for 65 million years until rediscovered off South Africa in 1938, coelacanths can reach 2 meters and 90 kg. They belong to an ancient lobe-finned lineage more closely related to tetrapods than to ray-finned fish, making them scientifically invaluable for understanding vertebrate evolution. Found in deep rocky reef habitats of the Indian Ocean, they are nocturnal and undergo internal fertilization, giving birth to fully formed live young. Critically Endangered.

Scarlet Macaw

One of the most brilliantly colored birds in the Americas, scarlet macaws display vivid red, yellow, and blue plumage with wingspans reaching 1 meter. Found in humid lowland forests from Mexico to Bolivia, they are highly intelligent, long-lived — up to 75 years — and form lifelong pair bonds. They travel long distances to clay licks where they consume mineral-rich soil to detoxify seeds. Listed as Least Concern but locally threatened by habitat loss and the pet trade.